Chapter 179 - Poison
An enigmatic sound echoed through the villa.
In reality, Su Ming was grappling with a coconut, screwdriver in hand!
Thankfully, Su Ming possessed the Stamina Talent.
Without it, he would have been completely worn out by now.
On TV, Su Ming had watched people effortlessly crack open coconuts.
They made it look so easy.
Why was it so difficult for him?
Feeling defeated, Su Ming was on the verge of frantically twisting the screwdriver when it suddenly plunged into the coconut.
Dumbfounded, he pulled it out, noticing the glistening coconut juice clinging to it.
Su Ming was at a loss for words.
The coconut water was tainted!
But it didn't bother him.
He casually set the screwdriver aside and poured out the juice.
He had expected the liquid to be pure white, but upon closer inspection…
The coconut water was an odd mix of purple and green.
It resembled poison.
Su Ming considered his options.
Was this coconut water even safe to drink?
“Congratulations, you've acquired the Sober Potion! It ensures you'll never get drunk, an indispensable remedy for your business negotiations over drinks!”
Su Ming was astounded.
Its bizarre color was one thing, but the name was even more peculiar.
He quietly grumbled to himself about the System.
Still, he couldn't deny it was a valuable find.
In today's culture, social drinking was ubiquitous.
Contracts required a toast, business deals were sealed with a drink, and even family gatherings weren't complete without alcohol.
Wine had become an integral part of life in the imperial court.
Sure, the market was flooded with remedies to prevent drunkenness.
Yet, most were ineffective.
Though harmless to the body, they did little to keep one sober.
But anything the System provided Su Ming was bound to be exceptional.
Despite its odd name, the potion's effectiveness was guaranteed.
If Su Ming were to sell this potion, it would surely be a hit.
“Not bad at all, this is quite the find,” Su Ming chuckled to himself.
He pushed his cart inside, organized all the coconuts, and transported them to the warehouse.
A total of six hundred coconuts filled the space to capacity.
“You've successfully harvested your crops and earned 3,000 experience points!”
As Su Ming wrapped up his work, a notification chimed in his mind.
Could a single coconut really grant him 5 experience points?
Yet, it made sense. With the limited yield of coconuts from his three-acre plot, earning merely one point per coconut would have been a significant loss.
The System had thought of everything.
Su Ming also collected all the coconut trees, gaining additional experience points in the process.
Now, with the exception of the fennel, he had harvested all his crops.
Su Ming headed to the warehouse.
After a lengthy search, he emerged with several strawberry seedlings.
These were familiar territory for Su Ming.
The family's farmland was scant, most of it now under plastic greenhouses. Come winter, Su Ming intended to plant strawberries there for off-season sales.
A kilogram of strawberries fetched no less than 20 yuan.
Once the dealer took them off his hands and resold them, their price would soar.
And the strawberries were of excellent quality.
So, Su Ming was set on planting strawberries, though the outcome was uncertain.
He was eager to see the results.
After downing a bottle of Body-stretching Pill Charging Liquid, he felt a surge of vigor.
Normally, the strawberry planting routine was quite intricate.
Su Ming had to bury the seeds, cover them with plastic film, and wait for them to germinate. Then, he'd remove the film and transfer the seedlings into cup-sized containers before planting them in the soil and watering them.
Temperature and sunlight exposure also needed monitoring.
But with the System's assistance, these steps were trivial.
Su Ming simply had to dig holes and scatter the seeds into the earth.
Covering five acres was no small feat, taking up his entire day.
Once the strawberries were in, the System alerted him.
“Strawberries successfully planted! Harvest time: 36 hours!”
He proceeded with watering and fertilizing.
Before long, the tasks were complete.
Su Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
He washed up at the tap and made his way back to the villa.
He ordered some takeout and indulged in a hearty meal before drifting off to sleep.
He didn't wake until noon.
Once up, Su Ming whipped up a meal, took a refreshing shower, and slipped into fresh clothes before heading down to his fields.
The five acres were a sea of strawberries, a sight so delightful that Su Ming couldn't help but feel content.
Opening the door, he was greeted by the usual bustle of the city center.
Just as Su Ming was about to head back inside, something—or rather, someone—caught his eye.
His door overlooked a pedestrian crossing lined with trees. In the heart of Eastsea City, these were Parasol Trees, towering and robust.
And there, behind one of the trees, was a foot that seemed oddly familiar.
Puzzled, Su Ming approached cautiously.
He found President Chen, dressed in a suit and tie, but in a sorry state: one shoe missing, his suit smeared with dirt, and his trousers torn.
His face was flushed as he slept off the alcohol, the stench wafting in the air.
Clearly, President Chen had overindulged.
But why here? Most people would stumble home when drunk. Had President Chen mistaken this place for his own home?
Su Ming realized that to President Chen, this spot must hold a significance greater than home.
With a sigh, Su Ming went back inside and fetched the leftover coconut juice from the day before.
He gently poured the coconut juice into President Chen's mouth, much to the shock of passersby.
The coconut juice's odd color might have led them to suspect poison.
Did these two have some unresolved feud?
This was the city center, teeming with people who were now unwitting witnesses.
“What are you doing? Murder is a crime!”
An elderly gentleman, alarmed by the scene, rushed over to confront Su Ming.
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